Making Home-made Sweet Gherkin Pickles!

Yield: 6 to 7 pint jars

Click
here for a PDF print version

Making and canning your own sweet pickled gherkins the old-fashioned way,
with all natural ingredients has never been easier!! Here's how to do it,
in easy steps and completely illustrated. This method is so easy, ANYONE can do
this! It's a great thing to do with your kids! This is an easy recipe, but
it is spread out over 3 days, while the cucumbers soak up brine!

Equipment

Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling
water where you sanitize them. ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page)

Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page)

1 large pots; teflon lined, glass or ceramic.

Large spoons and ladles

1 Water Bath Canner (a huge pot to sanitize the jars
after
filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at big box stores and grocery stores.). Note: we
sell many sizes and types of canners for all types of stoves and needs
- see canning supplies

Pint canning jars (Ball or Kerr jars can be found at grocery stores, like Safeway, Publix, Kroger, grocery stores, even online - about $9 per dozen jars including the lids and rings).
Be sure to get wide mouth jars to fit the pickles in! Pint size
works best!

Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with
a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They
may only be used once.

Rings - metal bands that secure the lids
to the jars. They may be reused many times.

Directions - How to Make Sweet Gherkin Pickles

Be sure to read all the directions first - there are a couple
of options and variations at the end, if you want to make firmer pickles (it's a
trade-off; it takes more work!)

Step 1 - Selecting the
cucumbers

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better
quality cucumbers!

At left is a
of picture
cucumbers from my garden - they are SO easy to grow. But be sure to grow
the varieties that are labeled "pickling cucumbers" - they will
be much more crisp! Note that only the two on the left will make
good gherkins. The cucumber on the right is too big! (it's
about 4 inches long)

Step 2 - How many cucumbers?

It takes about 30-plus 1-inch or 15 2-inch cucumbers to fill a pint
jar.

Step 3 - Get the
jars and lids sanitizing

The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle.
I get that going while I'm preparing everything else, so it's done by the
time I'm ready to fill the jars. If you don't have a
dishwasher, submerge the jars in a large pot (the canner itself) of
water and bring it to a boil.

Be sure to let it go through the rinse
cycle to get rid of any soap!

Get the canner heating up

Fill the canner about 1/2
full of water and start it heating (with the lid on).

Start the water for the lids

Put the lids into
the small pot of boiling water for at least
several minutes. Note: everything gets
sanitized in the water
bath (step 7)
anyway, so this just helps to ensure
there is no spoilage later!)

Step
4 -Wash and cut the
vegetables!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the cucumbers and onions in plain
cold water.

You will need to cut a 1/16-inch slice off the blossom end of the
cucumbers and discard,
but you can leave the stem end and 1/4-inch of the stem attached, or slice
it off, as you prefer. Then cut the cukes into 3/16-inch slices, cross-wise.

Step 5 - Combine cucumbers and
other veggies in a large bowl. (Day 1)

Place cucumbers in large container and cover with boiling water. Six to 8
hours later (Day 2), drain and cover with 6 quarts of fresh
boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt. If you do this late in the evening,
then you can cover it, set on the counter and return in the morning. If it
will be longer than 8 hours, let it cool to room temp, then store in the
fridge.

Step 6 - Day 2 morning - Drain and re-fill

The next morning (or 6 to 8 hours later), drain and
cover with 6 quarts of fresh boiling water containing 1/4-cup salt. If it will
be sitting for longer than 8 hours, let it cool to room temp, then store in the
fridge.

Step 7 - Day 3 morning - Drain and fork

On the third day, drain and prick cucumbers with a table fork and
continue to step 8.

Step 8 - Combine the other ingredients in a separate pot and boil

Combine

3 cups vinegar,

3 cups sugar,

3/4 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon fennel (optional)

in a large pot and bring to boil

Note: if you need more liquid to cover the cucumbers, just make
more of the above in the same proportion (like, 1.5 cups vinegar,
1.5 cups sugar, and 1/2 the amount of the spices above)

Step 9 - Pour the liquid over the cucumbers

Pour over cucumbers and let it rest for 6 to 8 hours, on the counter

Step 10 - Drain and save the liquid

Six to 8 hours later, drain and save the pickling syrup.

Step 11 - Heat the liquid from step 10

Heat the drained liquid to a boil. Add another 2 cups of sugar and
2 cups of vinegar and reheat to boil.

Step 12 - Pour over the cucumbers and let the mix stand

Pour the liquid over the pickles.

Step 13 - Day 4 morning - Drain and save the liquid

On the fourth day, drain and save syrup. Add another 2 cups sugar and 1
cup vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles. Let it stand for 6 to 8
hours (yes, again!)

Step 15 - Fill the jars (FINALLY!)

Note about Pickle Mixes

To interject a crass commercial here - hey,
I've got to pay for the
website somehow :) I have found the best (crispest, best tasting)
pickles from a mix are with the "Mrs. Wages Polish Dill Refrigerator Pickle
Mix" .

They REALLY are good AND you don't need a canner - you store them in
your fridge right after making them. They're ready to eat in 24 hours! Our affiliate sells the mixes
(and at really good prices, too)

Whether you want dills or sweet pickles; canning them or straight into
the refrigerator; there is a mix for every taste and need here!

Step 16 - Process the sealed jars

Adjust lids and process according to one of the two methods
below. The first method is easiest, but the second method yields firmer
pickles:

a.Put them
in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep
the water
boiling. Boil them for 10 minutes (or as directed by the instructions with your canner). Remember to adjust for altitudes
(see below) and larger jars!

Table 1.
Recommended process time for Bread-and-Butter Pickles
in a boiling-water canner.

Process Time at Altitudes of

Style of Pack

Jar Size

0 - 1,000 ft

1,001 - 6,000 ft

Above 6,000 ft

Hot

Pints

5 min

10

15

b. OR use this low-temperature pasteurization treatment:.
The following treatment results in a better product texture but must be
carefully managed to avoid possible spoilage.

Place jars in a canner filled half
way with warm (120º to 140ºF) water.

Then, add hot water to a level 1 inch above
jars.

Heat the water enough to maintain 180 to 185ºF water temperature for 30
minutes.

Check with a candy or jelly thermometer to be certain that the water
temperature is at least 180ºF during the entire 30 minutes. Temperatures higher
than 185ºF may cause unnecessary softening of pickles.

Step 17 - Done

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or
bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

When can you start eating the pickles? Well, it takes some time
for the seasonings to be absorbed into the pickles. After processing and cooling, jars should be stored
4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor. Ah... the wait...

Variation for firmer pickles:

(replace steps 4 to 8 above
with these steps instead)

1.Wash cucumbers.

2.Cut 1/16-inch off blossom end and discard. Cut into 3/16-inch slices.

Pickle Making Problems?

Other Equipment:

Lid lifter
- to remove lids from the
pot
of boiling water
(sterilizing )

Lid
- disposable - you may only
use them once

Ring
- holds the lids on the jar until after
the jars cool - then you don't need
them

Canning jar funnel
- to fill the jars

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

$16.00 total
or about $2.38 per jar INCLUDING the jars - which you can
reuse!

* - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and
reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars! Many
products are sold in jars that will take the lids and rings for
canning. For example, Classico Spaghetti sauce is in quart sized
jars that work with Ball and Kerr lids and rings. Note that
the Classico's manufacturer does not recommend reuse of their jars:
see what they have to say on this
page:

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